Nation

Hanoi urged to explore opportunities

Open arms: Najib and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor being welcomed by Tan Dung and his wife Tran Thanh Kiem at the presidential palace in Hanoi. — Bernama

HANOI: Malaysia welcomes Vietnam to explore investment opportunities particularly in the banking and finance; tourism, education and oil and gas sectors, said the Prime Minister,

Citing an example, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said both Petronas and Petro Vietnam could carry out joint development in the oil and gas sector,

“We would also like to strengthen cooperation in the areas of defence and security,” he said after a bilateral meeting with his Vietna­mese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung yesterday.

Najib said both countries enjoyed good relations over the years with bilateral trade amounting to more than US$9bil (RM29.5bil).

“During our meeting just now, we had set a target to further increase our total trade to US$11bil (RM36.0bil) by 2015,” he said.

For Malaysia, Vietnam is its 13th largest trading partner and 10th largest source of import. For Vietnam, Malaysia is its seventh largest trading partner and eighth largest source of import.

Najib also described his bilateral meeting with his counterpart as frank and comprehensive where they spoke about the need to up ties to a strategic level.

“I would also like to personally congratulate Prime Minister Tan Dung for his exemplary leadership in steering his country to economic prosperity and making it one of the top economies in the region,” he said.

Both leaders also touched on the impending Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement, which they agreed must give a level playing field to emerging economies and developing nations.

Najib was earlier given an official welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace where he also inspected a guard-of-honour.

His visit there, at the invitation of Tan Dung, is to strengthen bilateral and trade relations with Vietnam.